In the face of tariffs and disinformation, British Columbians need and want credible home-grown news, information and commentary that they can trust.
Black Press Media is proud to employ talented and dedicated professional journalists who shine a light on local issues and tell the stories that our vast audiences rely on. And when breaking news happens, readers count on us for information they can trust that helps them make informed choices.
At a time when we need local news more than ever, publications in communities across the province are making difficult decisions to remain sustainable. Our communities rely on our journalists to bring clarity and balance to local issues. There is now enough data to show that without local news, the fabric that holds communities together begins to fray and understanding devolves into division and mistrust.
Our newspapers and news sites have huge, engaged audiences. Advertising revenue has always been the lifeblood of local news.
We don鈥檛 expect governments to solve all of our challenges. What we are hoping is that the provincial government practices what it is asking British Columbians to do and shop local by committing a percentage of its budgeted advertising to local news publications.
Last year, the B.C. government spent more than $20 million on non-partisan government advertising.
That money could go a long way to help sustain our industry.
In addition, we are calling on the government to direct Crown corporations like ICBC, BC Hydro, and BC Ferries to do the same.
Committing a percentage of marketing budgets to local media has the following benefits:
鈥� It can provide substantial revenue to local news organizations and help community journalism thrive.
鈥� It is money the government is already spending 鈥� not new money 鈥� so it does not require enlarging provincial or local budgets or raising taxes.
鈥� Government messages can reach a full range of residents through local print and digital platforms and wouldn鈥檛 rely on social media platforms to disseminate and often distort messages.
鈥� As advertising, it is payment for a service rendered, not a subsidy.
鈥� Advertising in community news media helps government be more effective by reaching audiences through community and ethnic publications that are more trusted in their communities.
Local news sites continue to enjoy more trust with readers than all other information sources. A 2024 study by Google found that trustworthy environments lead to a 25 percent brand lift in brand rating and that local news publishers are seen as 35 percent above the baseline in level of trust compared to other information providers.
A year ago, Ontario鈥檚 Progressive Conservative premier, Doug Ford, directed that 25 per cent of his government鈥檚 advertising spending would be set aside for news publications. This made an immediate and meaningful difference to many news titles.
Five years ago, former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, mandated that city agencies allocate at least 50 per cent of their print and digital advertising to community and ethnic media.
According to The Center for Community Media at CUNY, 鈥淭he impact of this policy cannot be overstated: In its first five years, it injected more than $72 million into the local community media sector. This helped critical information reach New Yorkers who rely on community media as their primary source of news and added an important source of revenue for these outlets.鈥�
In the face of attacks on our economy and our political sovereignty British Columbians are voting with their dollars and supporting Buy BC.
Local news organizations like ours and others throughout the province can provide that service and ensure that British Columbians have access to professional and credible news and information.
By adopting its own buy-local policy on advertising, the B.C. government could provide a big lift to organizations like ours without spending an additional dime of public money.
Mary Kemmis is the Senior Vice President of Black Press Media
